


such great heights

by cexies



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Humanstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:37:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cexies/pseuds/cexies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To Karkat, an afterglow comes hours later. It's when the AC hums into life, sunrise barely flitting through each crack as the sound of breathing fills up the space their body heat can't reach. No film or book has ever stressed the unknown necessity of such moments: in which a simple shift can ripple adornment in the sanctuary of privacy. Terezi all but curls around him, touching limb to limb with a serene comfort that's finally his, and his alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	such great heights

To Karkat, an afterglow comes hours later. It's when the AC hums into life, sunrise barely flitting through each crack as the sound of breathing fills up the space their body heat can't reach. No film or book has ever stressed the unknown necessity of such moments: in which a simple shift can ripple adornment in the sanctuary of privacy. Terezi all but curls around him, touching limb to limb with a serene comfort that's finally his, and his alone.

Most nights it's just easier to lie awake and stare at the ceiling; moving around too much causes Terezi to sleepily whine into his neck--which is a mixture of endearing and annoyingly hypocritical. Terezi's a restless sleeper, constantly moving and rearranging sheets until she's all but made a cocoon for the night. Somehow, sex always sedates her into a complacent state, leaving Karkat to revel in such moments. His favorite indulgence is the sleeping form of Terezi, the quiet appreciation often whittling into the early hours, with the summer sun arriving earlier and earlier. There's always a nostalgic feel to it, as if to remind him of summers spent with bruised knees and scraped elbows.

When the ceiling finally gets too boring, Karkat turns his attention back to Terezi. He combs through her hair with fondness, always amused by how her time outside ends up naturally dying it a few shades lighter. Everything about her screams healthy, from the summer freckles scattered across her cheeks, to the skin peeling from her shoulders. Terezi always laughs off his attempts at proper UV safety, but eventually comes crawling back and begging for after sun. He scoffs at the both of them, idly tracing the patches of fading red over her shoulder blades. She shifts from discomfort, pressing her chest further against his side and away from his touch. Karkat takes the hint, instead moving onto the curve of her spine. He's always admired the bumps with awe and slight concern. Her body is all teeth and bones, a stark contrast from his generous comparison of muscle and fat.

There's a contrast in skin too, with Terezi's always feeling too soft under the calluses of his own hands. Her's almost sticks to each bone, highlighting every angle and point until he ends up joking that dating a quadrilateral was not part of the equation. She always calls him an idiot who hangs around with Sollux too much, and the way her tone even shrieks through his subconscious is enough for Karkat to lightly chuckle. Even fast asleep, she still manages to resonate conversation through his mind.

Karkat's hand wonders past her spine, skimming around her back until he finds the familiar position over her hip. It's a comfort to let his thumb press circles there, and even Terezi usually simmers down from tossing and turning. Such responses are still a novelty, and there's a silly pride in knowing that his touch has been memorized by her; just as he's always aware of her hand draped over his chest, drawing dragons and words until sleep slowly stills her movements. 

He always berates himself for the thought, but it's with sleep that she seems most soft. She becomes slower: less bite and more affectionate. It's strange to imagine Terezi as anything but a burning star, and it's why Karkat finds it impossible to focus on fixing the insomnia--instead always being consumed by the terror sleeping by (and literally on) his side. He finds that the strangest part is how can study over her eyelids, not a single lash hinting at the murky orbs that lay underneath. If he squints, there's still the faintest of scarring around the creases of her eyes--all but faded with the comings and goings of summer skin. He chances a moment of affection then, gently rearranging his shoulder to press a kiss to Terezi's temple.

It's a chance too much, and he holds his breath as she breathes in lazily, leaving Karkat to count each of her lower ribs with the ripple of her skin. The smallest details still hold his attention the most, little surprises of information that he's never seen before. Maybe it's a couple thing, or maybe it's just because he can never devote as much time as he wants into learning every secret of Terezi. Said woman slowly starts to rise enough to attempt speech, mumbling something into his side, which can only be interpreted through time and experience.

"Early," he simply replies, voice hoarse from the previous silence. She groans in return, re-positioning herself to drape over Karkat as if it's his weight crushing her chest. Still, he makes no effort to stop her and even the heat of the coming morning can't stop him from firmly positioning his arm over her shoulders.

"Sleep," Terezi slurs, already slipping away again. Easy for some, he sighs. 

"It's too late now," Karkat shrugs, but the words come out in a harsh attempt of a whisper that Terezi seems to miss. He can feel her breaths evening out again, and her short battle into consciousness has quickly been lost. With another sigh, Karkat kisses the top of her head, letting his chin rest there as his vision flickers back towards the sunrise. At best, he'll catch an hours rest--which isn't really a rest at all. The most inviting thought is to simply keep an eye over Terezi, savoring the last few hours until the weekday rush sweeps her back into untameable havoc.

**Author's Note:**

> so many karezi requests not enough time u feel me?


End file.
